Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri made his first public comments regarding the altercation between him and a sheriff’s deputy after Game 6 of the NBA Finals in Golden State.
Ujiri says he respects police officers and is going to let his lawyers handle the situation moving forward.
“My lawyers are updating me. Honestly, with that incident, I’m just going to respect what the process is there and the investigation,” Ujiri said, via Jacob Bogage of the Denver Post. “I am confident about who I am as a person, my character and as a human being. For now, I just respect their process there and wait for the next steps. I respect authority.”
Three men who said they were sitting within 10 feet of the altercation each testified they never saw Ujiri strike the officer’s face. The incident started after the officer did not see Ujiri show his credential to get on the court after Toronto won the title over the Warriors.
We'll see how this situation plays out. Clearly, there are two sides to the story. The sheriff’s office said it recommended local prosecutors to bring charges against Ujiri for battery of an officer, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison and a $2,000 fine.
The Raptors and NBA have declined to offer other accounts of the events. The NBA is conducting its own investigation as well.
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